Flashing Netplex Link Down and I'm stuck

[crgadyk]

Update: I received the power supply and clear chip from CVSlots today (thanks again!). I installed the power supply and turned it on with the base chip installed. I didn't get the flashing netplex link error anymore (YAY) but it was just solid and I couldn't get it to do anything. So I installed the new clear 97 and I only get the two green and 1 amber light like I did before. I put the base chip back in and tried it and now I don't get anything on the display. All lights on the mpu are on and the bottom red light is flashing. I'm assuming that isn't good.

So now I'm going to research that and try a different MPU to see if its the same. Hopefully I don't have fried MPUs on top of power supply issues but that would be my luck 

[CVslots]

    That's not good....good to hear the power supply worked for you, but no good about the rest of the story.  I'm sorry...I was hoping your troubles would be over!

Roslyn

[crgadyk]

Apparently I was just kidding... I pulled the MPU out again (with the power off of course) and pushed it back in. Now I'm getting the flashing netplex again. With a known working power supply in the machine, can I officialy mark power supply off the list as a suspect?

Could the mpu or motherboard cause this?

These things better be really really fun when I get done with them 

[Neonkiss]

I don't remember if you said, but did you check / change the I/O on the door?

I posted before that I had a machine with the flashing Netplex Down and cleard it with re-seating the reels and MPU. You then replied that you checked that and they were good.
Well my machine did this again. The fix this time was the door I/O card. Re-seated both connectors and my machine came up again.

FWIW, I hope this helps.

[crgadyk]

I reseated them in the beginning but that was weeks ago. Its worth a shot. I'll run down to the garage and give it a shot.

[crgadyk]

No dice... I tried multiple sets of IO cards in 2 different machines with the new power supply and without. I had a 3rd MPU that I hadn't tried so I replaced the battery and tried it and failed (I think that one is dead though since no lights come on at all).

So I think I've checked the power supply off the list as well as something loose or oxidized since I unplugged and replugged everything on the motherboard as well as on the IO door cards and the IO card by the MPU. They are inching ever closer to being expensive clay pigeons
 

[cowboygames]

Have you tried disabling all netplex devices in the keychip menu? If it works you could then add them back till the problem reoccurs

[crgadyk]

I can't get to any menus... I turn on the machine and I get the flashing netplex and can't make it any further.

When I put a keychip in it doesn't do anything.

[cowboygames]

What if you clear it and put the keychip in before the SB?

[Yoeddy1]

A motherboard seems to be about the only thing left.  Slots4home had a strange one the other day involving a blank VFD (Netplex device).  He threw about every part at it and it ended up being the bill validator (Netplex device) that was causing the VFD to go blank.  Did you disconnect and reconnect on those devices as well?

Jason

[crgadyk]

Yep unplugged all of the displays, bill accepter, printer, etc.

My friend got his working with a new battery so I might just take all of my parts down to him to throw in his machine to see if they work. It just seems odd that I have 2 machines doing the exact same thing and can't pinpoint the root cause. I'm sure its something stupid but I just don't see anything.

[CVslots]

I can't get to any menus... I turn on the machine and I get the flashing netplex and can't make it any further.

When I put a keychip in it doesn't do anything.

QUESTIONS:

What about on a clear? Did you clear the machine clear with the new clear chip? (If not, then is the chip socket itself the culprit?)
What settings did you use originally for SAS and Remote Hand Pay?

What if you clear it and put the keychip in before the SB?

Did you key it as cowboy suggested? What happened?

[BR549 Auto Sales]

I hope that there is ultimately a solution to this problem because I have 3 enhanced boards doing the same thing. They all had bad green batteries but I replaced them with new ones. I have tried all of the suggestions above as well. I have decided to just change the backpane boards out and install non-enhanced boaeds. The machines of mine that have those type boards in them have never given me a problem what so ever.

[crgadyk]

I've tried a full clear a few times. I'm going to try going from clear to key tonight (again) to see if it helps. I've gotten a few PMs on the subject and it appears the MPU can be problematic on the enhanced boards.

My friend has a couple spare boards but its going to be next weekend before I can get down there. Hes going to let me test all of my parts in his working machine so maybe we'll get to the bottom of it.

I saw on the delphi forum that someone had pinpointed U67 (I think) which is the Intel chip. I don't know if that is the only issue but it might be a common one.

[Big Ed Deline]

I dont mean to hi-jack the thread, but Ive been following along because this really intrests me as a new person to slots. But could someone explain what "enhanced boards" are or what they do over a regular board?
Thanks.

[crgadyk]

Ok update time. I went down to see my friend today to test my MPUs in his machine. I'm really starting to not like s2000 5 reels with enhanced boards. I saw his machine work successfully when I got there. We pulled his working board and tried one of mine, immediately get the flashing netplex down. We tried a 2nd board of mine and got the same thing. Then the odd part, we put his board back in and it started giving the flashing netplex down as well. We had to reboot it several times and kept fooling with it and it eventually started working again. So machine is back up and running 100%, we put a couple dollars through it to make sure (for research purposes only of course  ). Then we grabbed a couple boards from a pile of spares that he bought from his supplier. First board we put in gave the flashing netplex right away and no amount of fiddling with it would get it to work. The 2nd board didn't have the same flashing, it was just a solid netplex down on the screen. I brought that board home since it was the only one that might have a chance but I'm now getting a different issue.

The board in the machine now isn't flashing netplex down but I'm getting every light on but the 2nd green one (from the top). The reels aren't stiffening up and I can't get it to do anything else. I tried putting the key chip in to see if that would help but it didn't. Any ideas?


On a different note, I have a non enhanced 5 reel that had a dead board. Picked up a new board and got it to go through the initialization stuff, pushed the white button, turned the key 3 times. Stuck in a loop. Read on here that it probably mean the wrong game chips. It had 362s in it for a Double Diamond Run 5 reel non Vision. I had an extra set of 363s that I threw on the board and then it started giving me a flashing netplex down now as well. I really do have nightmares about this stupid flashing netplex down 

[Buzz]

Open and close the main door latch 3 or 4 times.

[leapyearguy]

The board in the machine now isn't flashing netplex down but I'm getting every light on but the 2nd green one (from the top). The reels aren't stiffening up and I can't get it to do anything else. I tried putting the key chip in to see if that would help but it didn't. Any ideas?

Are you by chance changing the daughter board with the software? I installed a new battery the other day and when I put the daughter board back on and fired the game up I got this same thing. It turned out that I bent a pin where the daughter plugs into the mpu. very difficult to see but I had the same symptoms. installed a new daughter board and the mpu that I changed the green battery on and the game worked

[crgadyk]

I'll trying opening and shutting the latch a few times first. If that doesn't work I'll throw a different daughter board in and see if anything changes. I'll report back in a few

 

Doesn't the red light usually mean something bad? I hate red lights and flashing netplex down errors 

[crgadyk]

Ok I opened and closed the latch on the door while it was shut about 30 times and nothing happened. I swapped out the daughter board with a different one and no change as well.
I've attached a picture of how the LEDs on the board are when the machine is on. The 2nd light from the top is the only one that isn't on. Something is definitely not right but I'm fresh out of ideas at this point.

[cowboygames]

Through all this have you swapped the motherboard ever?

[crgadyk]

Well kinda, I have two machines with enhanced motherboards and its doing the same thing in both machines.

I tried keying it, then tried clear and key...

[leapyearguy]

that acts like the bent daughterboard pin or eprom in backwards that Ive done many times

[crgadyk]

yeah I checked the eproms to make sure they weren't in backwards and I tried 3 different daughter boards on the same MPU and they all act the same. I just swamped cabinets again to try a 2nd motherboard and it lit up the same.

[leapyearguy]

you got an 039 board and mother board? you could try that and eliminate anything to do with the cabinet and the software. it would narrow it down a bunch